


Emptied Bottles

by Ian_the_Existential_Crisis



Category: Good Game (TV 2017)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Drinking, Gen, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, They do have drinking problems shut up, esports people is still a horrible name
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-05-15 05:59:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19289590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ian_the_Existential_Crisis/pseuds/Ian_the_Existential_Crisis
Summary: Usually Ryland would jump to Alex's defense. Sometimes he was off in his own little word, sometimes he was passed out cold on the couch, and sometimes he was a stumbling mess. Okay, so maybe Alex did have a drink problem, but everyone on their team had their own little quirk.





	Emptied Bottles

**Author's Note:**

> So I've had a fear, for like the last year, that if I did fan fics for anything remotely related to the grumps one of them might see it. So I kinda just haven't even touched this fandom till recently. And now I have a lot planned. Because fuck it. 
> 
> P.S. this story should make it obviously apparent that I have never once been drunk before. 
> 
> If you like this and want more hit that kudos button and you guys can always bug me on Tumblr  
> or over on Twitter

"You know," Lorenzo was the one to speak up, which came as a surprise to Ryland. "Maybe Ash isn't the only one with a problem."

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"Well, I didn't mean to be nosey or anything." He clicked the mouse flamboyantly, which was probably the reason they were dying while playing Gauntlet. "But ever since we all started living together I can't help but notice how much he and Ash drink." 

 

"It probably more than what most would consider normal." Ryland paused to think. 

 

For most of the time he and Alex had lived together the older man was either drunk or high. Even when he seemed close to sober, Ryland would find himself asking aloud if he was or not. And sweet innocent Alex, the one person he could trust never to lie to him, would always tell him the truth. Which a good ninety percent of the time he was indeed inebriated. 

 

And usually Ryland would be the first to jump to Alex's defense. Sometimes he was off in his own little word (he said he had a lot of thoughts though he couldn't always keep them), sometimes he was passed out cold on the couch, and sometimes he was a stumbling mess. 

 

Okay, so maybe Alex did have a drink problem, but everyone on their team had their own little quirk _. _ Kamal was a little racist, and sexist and… who was he kidding? Kamal had a lot of problems that could be solved with some duct tape over his mouth, but everyone else insisted that was inhuman. And Sam, well she was working on her own issues on her weird Sam way. Which didn't make her any less extreme. So yeah, they all had issues and problems, and Alex didn't hurt anyone with his. Sure he was a little out there sometimes when they asked him to be more coach-like, but he was always like that. 

 

"It's really unhealthy. I figured if I talked to Ash you could talk to Alex." Lorenzo said. "In my experience people don't drink that much unless they have something they want to forget about. My Ex started drinking when he started to cheat on me."

 

"Woah." Ryland gasped. "Too much. I didn't need to know. Besides, you think Alex is hiding something? He couldn't lie to save his life." 

 

"Oh you never know."

 

Ryland watched the man do another overly extra click of the mouse. He was just so bad at the game. And the worst part, he was actually slightly better than before. He watched the man's eyes light up with glee over a new high score for him, not even close to touching Ryland's score. 

 

There was no way that he was hiding anything. Ash and Alex just liked to drink for fun. It was something about the buzz. Not that Ryland really understood. He could stand a few drinks, but video games were his pastime. He didn't think he could stand being drunk all the time. 

 

He would talk to him anyways, not to satisfy his own need, but because Lorenzo was worried about him. Speaking of worried though…

 

"Hey, if you want Ash to cut down on drinking, maybe you should involve Sam. She might be able to talk some sense into her."

 

"That's a great idea!"

 

***

"Hey buddy." Ryland tried to catch him as he stumbled in. Somehow, even though they all lived in a shared house, the front door was still next to the kitchen in front of the door. Which was perfect because it made cornering people easy. Not that he had been cornered since they moved in. It definitely didn't happen once or even twice. And if it did, the first time absolutely wasn't because some of the team thought he needed to see a therapist. 

 

"Aw, hey man." 

 

"Why don't you come over here and we can play something?"

 

"Sure thing Ry, let me get my bong." Alex went to turn away.

 

"Actually…" Ryland's voice made him stop in his tracks. Ryland didn't have to drop the controller to the couch and stand, but he did. His mind stopped after that. What was he going to say next? What was he supposed to say? 'Hey man, don't grab your weed cause I need to have an important talk with you and want you to be mostly there when I ask you personal stuff because Lorenzo is worried and I couldn't find the words to stick up for you this time because it really does seem like you have a problem and I'm kinda worried too'? Yeah, that probably wouldn't work out too well. Time for his back up. "I was thinking we could play two player game."

 

Those big brown eyes widened, a goofy lop-sided smile stretched across his ever brightening face. "You never want to play two player when you casual game."

 

"Yeah, come on, it will be fun." He knew he had Alex. He was so trusting and naive that he probably didn't have a doubt that Ryland just wanted to have a good time.

 

Talking him into playing was easy, but actually bringing up the topic was harder than Ryland expected. It took four races on Mario Kart 8 before Ryland would work up the nerve to say anything. Even then, he still took the easy way out. 

 

"So Lorenzo and I were talking earlier today." 

 

There was a soft, "As I love Lorenzo." thatAlex probably didn't mean to let slip. 

 

"And he's kinda worried about you man."

 

"Why would he be worried about me? You know who he should be worried about? That pizza delivery guy. I don't think he ever texted back after Lorenzo gave him his number." Alex rattled on. 

 

"No, look. He's worried that you might have… you know… a drinking problem."

 

"Like Ash?" 

 

"Kinda."

 

"No. No." He repeated, more like he was trying to convince someone that it wasn't true. Ryland wasn't even sure if it was him that Alex was trying to talk out of the thought. "I do love day drinking, but it's not that bad."

 

"Are you sure?" Ryland let his eyes drift from the screen. 

 

"Yeah. When I drink it's like I slow down so I can enjoy everything a little bit more. Then I come home and take a few hits and I can focus on what I'm doing."

 

Ryland laughed. "Is that why you always fail to notice when Kamal leaves the room?" 

 

"I'm just not paying attention to what he's saying. So when he leaves it doesn't seem less loud."

 

"Sure thing. And here I was worried you had some horrible experience you didn't want to face so you drank your worries away."

 

"Hey!" Alex gasped, not only because Ryland ran him off the track but also because of his words. "I thought you said it was Lorenzo who was worried."

 

"Well, I mean, I can worry about you too. I guess he just put some thoughts into my head."

 

"Don't worry man. We all have our problems. But we're a family, we'll deal with them together." He gave Ryland a nudge. "Esports people?"

 

"Esports people." He couldn't help but smile at the older man as he tried to maneuver his way around the fourth place kart. "God that's an awful name."

 

"We'll work it out in a pow-wow along with pizza guy and Ash's drinking problem."


End file.
